1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to decorative lighting apparatus of the type in which a string of lights is mounted on one or more support frames to achieve a predetermined lighting design, and to methods of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, strings of lights have been hung from eaves on houses and from other structures to decorate the structure and/or to illuminate the area surrounding the structure. Most commonly, such strings of lights have been hung during the holiday season. Typically, these strings of lights contain a series of spaced apart light bulbs of one or a variety of colors.
Wire frames have been developed for holding strings of lights and for forming the lights along an outline of an object such as a Christmas tree. Similarly, solid frames have been made, such as from plywood, and in any number of shapes and sizes.
The present invention is directed toward lighting fixtures that can be attached alone or with other lighting fixtures to an electrical cord or a string of lights. One particular embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of vane structures projecting radially outward from a central core, and a light coupled to each vane. The vane structures can be of a semi-circular shape and can be of the same size such that the fixture has an overall shape generally appearing as a sphere. A fixture can also be formed from a single unitary structure that has been folded in altematingly opposite directions to create the vanes and the radial spaces between the vanes.
In another embodiment, the present invention is directed toward a fixture fabricated from a series of linked rings. Each ring has a central hinge and is connected to any adjacent ring by a tangential hinge generally parallel to the central hinge. The central hinges are folded in a first direction and the tangential hinges are folded in an opposing second direction to form a light fixture having a number of radially spaced apart vanes. A string of lights is mounted to the fixture.
The present invention is also directed toward a method of fabricating a light fixture by alternatingly folding an elongated structure in opposing directions, then coupling a series of lights to the structure.